How Not To Lose In Tennis

I played doubles yesterday and my partner and I won 6-0, 6-2. So, guess which of these excuses my opponents gave to us after the match to explain their poor level of play:

1. I'm sick.
2. I've been sick for a while and need to be on bed rest and antibiotics.
3. I haven't played much this season.
4. Actually, I haven't played in a really long time.
5. I don't play much tennis. I mostly play golf.
6. I don't play Champ level tennis.
7. We've never played together before.
8. In fact, we've never met before.

If you guessed that they gave ALL of these excuses within the space of about 5 minutes, you would be correct! I think they were suffering from what I believe is known as "Serena Williams Syndrome." They seemed to have plenty of excuses to explain why they lost but they never once said anything nice about why we won. I mean we did have to do a little bit of work on the court even if the score makes it look like it was a cake walk.

All I'm saying is don't just be a graceful winner. Let's all be graceful losers too. Don't detract from my win by telling me all of your excuses for why you played so badly when there is some remote shred of possibility that my partner and I just happened to play well. Or, if you must give me an excuse, go ahead. Just don't give me 8 of them.




© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Wimbledon Is Back! . . . As Is Venus' Appalling Fashion Sense

I am so happy that Wimbledon is on right now - I mean it's still early enough in the tournament that I can watch it almost all day long and every match is a great match. Like right now - I've got Andy Roddick playing Feliciano Lopez, Ryan Harrison finishing up his match with David Ferrer, and Maria Sharapova playing very young (17 years-old), very British and so very popular Laura Robson. It's hard to know what to concentrate on!

That's why I feel a little bit bad (but obviously not bad enough), that this, my first 2011 Wimbledon post, is about the appalling outfit Venus Williams has been wearing for her first two matches. While I don't want to talk about the same old thing that everyone else is talking about, this thing is so awful that I have to be sure my Tennis Fixation followers don't miss out on seeing it before she makes a possible exit out of Wimbledon. So here's my fabulous photo collage of Venus Williams in the first two rounds of Wimbledon:

Uncomfortable looking? Old lady-ish? Paper bag-like? Lace curtain-y? It's so easy to come up with everything that is wrong with this outfit that it's actually hard to settle on what the best (worst) description is. I'm thinking something like "tennis-themed-wedding apparel gone awry" might do it justice. The gold zipper up the front - trashy. The open "bat wing" sleeves - gawky. The whole "romper" concept - Forever 21 maybe? And I'm not even showing you the open, exposed back which is, in my opinion, just one "fashion" touch too many.

I believe Venus has fallen into the "even bad publicity is better than no publicity" trap and I wish someone would tell her she's wrong about that. She still plays great tennis but her tennis is no longer the focus of her on-court appearances. Why can't she figure out that, if she would sign on with Nike along with her sister Serena, they could probably make TONS of money wearing coordinating outfits and look fabulous while doing it? I mean even I thought those Oreo commercials they did were cute. 

At this point, my only hope for Venus is that she will have a new and even more inappropriate outfit for her next round so that I can add it to my "Venus Wall of Weird" that I am now seeing I need to develop.

Go Andy Roddick and Go Ryan Harrison!



Photos of Venus Williams via www.zimbio.com




© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Choosing The Right Sunscreen Gets Easier

You know wearing sunscreen out on the tennis court, or anywhere in the sun, is critically important. The big questions has always been - how do you pick the right one? SPF 15 or 150? UVA or UVB protection? Broad spectrum? Waterproof? It can be more than a little confusing.

Well, good news for all of us mystified sun-lovers. After 33 years (!) of study and consideration, the Food and Drug Administration has finally come up with some new rules to help make choosing the right sunscreen a lot easier. Beginning in 2012, only sunscreens that protect against both UVA rays (that cause burning) and UVB rays (that cause wrinkling) can claim to offer "broad spectrum" protection. This will definitely become the phrase we'll all be looking for on our sunscreen. And only sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher can claim that they prevent sunburn and help reduce the risks of skin cancer and early aging.

Sunscreens with an SPF of less than 15 will now have to include a warning that they may not prevent skin cancer or skin aging. And, sunscreens may no longer claim to be "waterproof" or "sweatproof" (since none actually are) but instead can show the number of minutes for which they are "water-resistant."

While these FDA rules don't go into effect until 2012, I expect we'll see a lot of sunscreens updating their labels right away to reflect these changes. And with sunscreen labels easier to understand, I hope I can spend less time deciding what to use and more time safely enjoying the sun! 


© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Win A Complete Tennis Team Makeover From 4all!

If only my tennis team looked like this . . .

What if your whole tennis team could be outfitted in coordinating uniforms that were fun, fashionable and fit beautifully? And what if someone provided those uniforms to your team for FREE? Would that be a dream come true or what?

Well, ladies, here's your chance! My fav fitness apparel manufacturer, 4allbyjofit, is hosting another great contest. They're searching for a tennis team (and a golf team by the way) to receive a team makeover where every team member gets a new 2 piece outfit from 4all. And, bonus, 4all will tell your team's inspiring story along with before and after photos showing your transformation and how great you all look in your new outfits. And why is 4all so interested in helping your tennis team look fantastic? Because the motto at 4all is "when you look your best, you play your best." I couldn't agree more (actually, I think my motto is more like, "I don't care if you play better than me, as long as I look better than you!").

So how can your team win? You'll need to send a photo of your entire team and your story to 4all. The complete details can be found on 4all's web site (www.4allbyjofit.com) at this page: Win A Team Makeover From 4all By Jofit. Entries need to be sent in by July 10, 2011 so get on this now.

Oh my goodness! How much would I love it if the team of one of my Tennis Fixation followers won this contest? I would LOVE to post those team photos here! If your team enters, you have got to let me know. And good luck!



© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Play "Safe" Tennis - Protect Your Eyes From The Sun

It is blazing hot across the United States and we're all spending way more time out in the sun on the tennis courts. While playing in the sun can be lots of fun, don't forget to take the necessary steps to protect your eyes from damaging exposure to ultraviolet rays. Why? Because long term exposure to UV rays can lead to macular degeneration (where light-sensing cells in the center of the eye stop working), cataracts and skin cancer around the eyes. Yikes!

So what can you do to protect your eyes out in the sun?

1. Avoid playing when UV levels are at their highest - when the sun is high in the sky, usually between 10 am and 2 pm. And be aware that cloud cover does not offer protection as UV is invisible radiation and can easily penetrate through clouds.

2. Wear sunglasses! These will filter the sun light and protect your eyes from incoming UV rays. The best sunglasses are those that block out 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays, are impact resistant, do not distort colors and have a close-fitting, wrap-around style. Sunglasses made specifically for sports usually offer all of these features.

3. Wear a wide-brimmed hat to physically block out sun light from overhead. I personally wear a Nike cap which helps somewhat but here's the Solar Roller Hat from Zappos.com that would be even better as it provides UPF solar protection of 30+:

4. And don't forget the kids! All of your children, whether they're playing tennis, out on the golf course (my husband's dream for our kids) or just splashing around the pool, need eye protection too. Damage from UV rays is cumulative over your lifetime, so don't let your little ones go unprotected now.





© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Win A 4all Wardrobe!

I know you know how much I love my 4all by jofit fitness apparel. I've told you several times how great it makes me look whether I'm playing tennis, working out or square dancing (remember this great post? - Fitness Wear That's Appropriate For . . . Square Dancing!). Anyway, now you have a chance to win a whole wardrobe of 4all gear!

4all by jofit has teamed up with Woman’s World magazine and they are giving away three $400 4all gift cards. To enter, just click here - 4all and Woman's World contest - and you'll be taken to the page on 4all's web site where you can enter. You can also find this page by visiting the 4all website - www.4allbyjofit.com - and clicking on the "News" link at top of the page.

When you're on their web site, look around at the super cute outfits they offer and then figure out how many of them you'd be able to buy with a $400 gift card! I can tell you - a lot! Today is the first day you can enter the contest (talk about me being diligent in getting the news out!) and the contest ends August 4 so I would enter now if I was you, just so you don't miss out. And, because I actually do have some international followers!, be aware that this contest is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

Good luck and I hope that if one of you wins, you'll let us know all about your 4all shopping spree!





© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Welcome To The Tennis Twilight Zone . . .

Well, it appears that I have officially entered the Tennis Twilight Zone because I am now on an Open level team.

I know most of you know what that means but let's just be sure. In this particular ranking system:

• If I'm a beginning tennis player, I'm probably on a C level team.
• If I'm an average to intermediate level player, I'll be on a B level team.
• If I'm an advanced player, I'll be on an A team.
• If I'm a really advanced player, I'll be Champ level.
• And if I'm a tennis pro who doesn't have anything better to do, a former college player who still likes to get out on the court, or Steffi Graf who feels like getting back into the wonderful world of competitive tennis but isn't too serious about it, I'll be on an Open level team.

Because Open level is just that - completely open to anyone at all, no matter how high their skill level or how great their income from advertising endorsements.

So what I'm saying is that I'm now playing at a level where I might possibly face a bored-enough-to-come-out-of-retirement Steffi Graf. Or at least I might face the opposing club's pro since it is perfectly legal for a teaching pro to play in the Open level.

How did this happen to me? I think my little story is typical of a lot of people who somehow end up on a high level tennis team despite their lack of high level tennis skills. When I started on this team, we were B level. But the league didn't have enough B teams to keep that level going. So we were moved up to the A level. And then, somehow, we won the A level (by a few points) and the league director asked our captains if they wanted to move our team up to the Champ level. Of course they said yes, realizing that the planets might not align in this fashion next season. THEN the planets DID realign in EXACTLY the same fashion and our team somehow won the Champ level - so now we're in the Open level.

So next time you're playing in a very high level match and you're wondering how the @!(*& did your hack of an opponent ever get to that level, remember . . . she may have arrived from the Tennis Twilight Zone!





© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved